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Digging Through the (Bulls-Related) Fallout from the Anthony Davis Deal and Other Bullets

If you are new to us here at BN Bulls: Welcome! There’s no better time to join the bandwagon (Psssh, I’m not biased, you’re biased. Okay, I’m a little bias. I like the Bulls. Sue me.).

Seriously though, this offseason is about to be crazy, and I’m prepared to walk you through the good, (but most likely) the bad and the ugly! But, hey, if you join now, you can totally claim that you were an original and official Bleacher Nation Bulls-er… we’ll work on the name. That’s worth something, right?

Bullets time!

NBA front offices are still on clean-up duty after the massive explosion caused by Saturday’s news: Anthony Davis was traded to the Los Angeles Lakers in exchange for Lonzo Ball, Brandon Ingram, Josh Hart and three first-round picks, including this year’s No. 4 pick in the draft.

Arguably, the Pelicans will now have the greatest impact on the first 10-picks of this draft. While the No. 1 spot will clearly be occupied by Zion Williamson, the No. 4 pick could really shake up the next several picks. With the acquisition of Ball in the trade, New Orleans probably isn’t on the hunt for a point guard. This could mean the No. 4 pick goes to a guy like Culver, Hunter or Reddish, OR it could play a role in why the team is already shopping the pick.

If the No. 4 pick stays in the hands of New Orleans, or is sent to a team with an already defined point guard, this could be very good news for Chicago. The Bulls have been plenty open about their intention to challenge Kris Dunn this offseason, but the path to a top-point guard in the draft became foggier as the time went on. Chicago has always been linked to UNC point guard Coby White, especially in plenty of the mock drafts last week, but they may be more confident now that this pick is in the hands or New Orleans.

Teams are already expressing significant interest in the No. 4 overall pick belonging now to the Pelicans, league sources tell ESPN. Talks are expected to continue over the next few days. This deal could get even bigger for the Pelicans.

Yet again, the Bulls could also feel like there’s an avenue to trade up to grab the No. 4 pick if they strike the right deal with the Pelicans. Indeed, The Athletic’s Sam Vecenie pointed out two days ago that the Bulls are the franchise most brought up by other teams in regards to trading for the pick. However, we’ll get into all of that drama a bit later today, so be on the lookout for that.

Focusing on current NBA talent, the Pelicans could still be looking to strike a deal there. While nothing has been reported directly on the interest between other teams and players such as Ball, Ingram and Hart, I wouldn’t rule it out. After the Davis trade went down, many Bulls fans were thrilled to see the Bulls not grabbing Ball (after so much speculation). I think it’s important to keep in mind this may not be the last time the two are connected. The Pelicans could still try to send Ball to Chicago; after all, it wouldn’t be hard to throw that into the discussion if the two are already rumored to be talking about the No. 4 pick. I’m right there with you in hoping this doesn’t happen… especially after seeing his dad come out of hiding. “THEY WILL NEVER WIN ANOTHER CHAMPIONSHIP. GUARANTEE IT!” Yeah, I’m going to have to disagree with you there, Mr. Ball. Anyway, I just think this is worth bringing up.

Fortunately, the Bulls aren’t in the West, so the team will not feel the direct impact of Davis in the standings. Although, and I’m going strictly speculation here, I wouldn’t be surprised if more western conference teams try to hit free agency a bit harder. Considering LeBron is now one piece away from grabbing another “big three” (reports already show the Lakers have interest in Kemba Walker and Kyrie Irving), teams may be feeling the heat. With that being the case, those teams could try to scoop up more solid depth or pursue guys in this upcoming free agency that weren’t originally on their list.

(Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images)

And, yes, that could impact the Bulls too. For example, a player like Patrick Beverley could become a more interesting target to amp up the energy and defensive prowess on a team. On a greater scale, a guy like D’Angelo Russell could be a hot item for a team in the West, giving more challenges to the Bulls if they were ever to try a run at him. We’ll have more on both guys later, and how the Bulls could actually make either move happen, but we’ll leave it there for now.

Oh, yeah. Toronto won the NBA Finals. The Raptors parade is today, and I don’t know about you, but I’m actually pretty excited to see how this goes. A group of fans all coming together like this to show support is always fun. Also, maybe we can get an uncharacteristic Kawhi celebration!

The Raptors parade isn't expected to arrive at Nathan Philips Square for another four hours

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